First Take SA

The SA First Forum has written to Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber demanding urgent action on undocumented South Africans. The forum says an estimated four point four million citizens remain without identity documents, blocking access to education, jobs and banking. It cites cases of learners unable to write Matric and young people unable to access tertiary education. The group has given t...

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for the Gaza ceasefire to become permanent, warning that three years after the October 7th Hamas attacks, Israelis and Palestinians continued to live with the consequences of the conflict. In a statement issued a day before the sombre anniversary, Guterres reiterated his abhorrence of the killing of more than 1,200 people in Israel and the ta...

The Democratic Alliance, DA in Gauteng is calling for an urgent probe into chronic medicine shortages at public health facilities. Patients at hospitals including Steve Biko and Charlotte Maxeke and clinics including Nigel and Northmead, have reportedly struggled to get medication for hypertension, epilepsy and other chronic conditions. The DA says the shortages are putting patients at risk and ra...

Political commentator and civil society leader Lukhona Mnguni is vying to become the Mayor of Johannesburg. Mnguni will contest the upcoming local government elections under Rise Mzansi. Mnguni says he will focus on tackling corruption, restoring public trust and improving service delivery. Johannesburg faces persistent challenges, including failing infrastructure and governance instability. 

Workers are taking to the streets today as COSATU leads nationwide marches to mark World Day for Decent Work. The federation says workers face mass retrenchments, non-compliance with the minimum wage and growing casualisation. Marches will target Sun International over planned job cuts and Massmart over the dismissal of hundreds of Makro workers. COSATU is also demanding stronger enforcement of la...

Speaker of the National Assembly Thoko Didiza has challenged global leaders at the 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly to shift focus from drafting laws to strictly enforcing them. Addressing delegates in Tanzania, Didiza warned that public trust in democratic institutions is eroding because citizens see a massive gap between paper promises and their daily struggles with poverty. For more, we...

Parliament is pressing the Department of International Relations to account for money owed to South Africa by foreign countries. During a briefing to the Standing Committee on Appropriations, MPs raised concern over the lack of detail on outstanding debts, including funds reportedly owed to SAA by Zimbabwe. Committee members want clarity on how much is owed, how long it has been outstanding and pl...

The sharp increase in fuel prices is placing fresh pressure on South Africa's transport and logistics sector. Diesel, which powers most freight movement, is a major operating cost for transport companies. Industry experts warn the impact will be felt beyond the pump, with higher costs for goods and services. Road Freight Association CEO Gavin Kelly says operators are already under strain.

As the race for the 2026 local elections heats up, newly formed Born To Win Party leader Boy Mamabolo is hitting the streets of Polokwane, campaigning door-to-door to win over voters. Gender-based violence and femicide top his agenda, with Mamabolo saying safer communities and protection for women will be a priority if his party gets into government. 

Former acting National Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane says charges against him, provisionally withdrawn by IDAC, were concocted. Phahlane claims the move was an attempt to push him out after he refused to hand over control of SAPS to Robert McBride and Paul O'Sullivan. Meanwhile Forensic Investigator, Paul O'Sullivan has denied allegations against him by Phahlane.

Mozambican human rights champion Professor Adriano Nuvungo has issued an urgent open letter to President Daniel Chapo challenging a controversial funding pact with the United States. The deal allegedly ties critical international health subsidies to the mandatory sharing of citizens' private medical data and biological samples. Nuvungo warns that trading personal medical details without public con...

The Department of Basic Education is moving to tighten rules around teachers communicating with learners on WhatsApp and other social platforms. The move follows a string of cases, including a Gauteng teacher suspended after alleged inappropriate chats with a 17-year-old learner and 469 sexual misconduct cases recorded since 2018. The Federation of Governing Bodies, FEDSAS says schools need clear...

The MK Party is calling for urgent government intervention as South Africans brace for a record fuel price increase. The party says rising fuel costs will push up the price of basic goods and transport, hitting the poor hardest. It wants Treasury to consider cutting the fuel levy and other relief measures. We spoke to  MK Party MP, Visvin Reddy. 

Dismissed Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan will appear before the Madlanga Commission today BUT behind closed doors. The Commission has ruled his testimony will be heard in camera after his legal team cited sensitive evidence. Khan had previously failed to appear despite being subpoenaed, prompting the Commission to order criminal charges be laid against him. We spoke to Leg...

A look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of Africa Is Open For Business and Africa Bounces Back

Ekurhuleni residents continue to grapple with failing services, crumbling infrastructure and crime, despite the metro's economic importance. Today on our podcast feature we sit down with BOSA mayoral candidate Nongelo Chiume on his practical plan to fix the city. And in this series we will also be hearing from various other mayoral candidates from other small parties. 

Trade union Solidarity is warning South Africa could be cut from the AGOA trade deal before Christmas. The 2000 American law gives South Africa and 30-odd other African countries, duty-free access for over 1,800 products. For more, we're joined by Jaco Kleynhans, Head of Public Liaison at Solidarity.

Suspended Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya is expected to file an urgent legal bid to block his internal SAPS disciplinary hearing today. His defense team says they are pushing for a postponement to prepare for his compounding legal woes. Sibiya faces internal misconduct charges tied to the Madlanga Commission alongside separate criminal counts of rape, grooming and human trafficking. Si...

Trade union Solidarity is warning South Africa could be cut from the AGOA trade deal before Christmas. The 2000 American law gives South Africa and 30-odd other African countries, duty-free access for over 1,800 products. For more, we're joined by Jaco Kleynhans, Head of Public Liaison at Solidarity.

US President Donald Trump has promised five-thousand-dollar checks for American adults if Republicans win the midterm elections. The announcement has sparked debate over voter incentives and the state of the US economy. Trump said the rationale behind the proposal was the country's "tremendous economic success" We spoke to former US diplomat and international relations expert, Mr. Brooks Spector.

The South African Social Security Agency, SASSA is urging social grant beneficiaries to ignore escalating social media panic regarding routine compliance assessments. SASSA Head of Communications, Dr. Paseka Letsatsi, confirms that being selected for a mandatory status review does not equate to an automatic suspension or rejection of funds. The agency says these ongoing audits are standard verific...

The Gauteng Legislature's transport committee is demanding immediate behavioural changes from motorists as South Africa officially begins Transport Month. Committee Chairperson Greg Schneemann flags reckless behaviour, drunk driving, speeding and surging road rage as major factors compromising safety ahead of the high-pressure festive season. The legislative body says while fixing road infrastruct...

The state's first witness in the bail application of suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner, Shadrack Sibiya told the Randburg Magistrates court that whatsapp messages confirm that Sibiya did in-fact communicate with a 16 year-old girl and asked her to send him explicit images and videos of herself. Sibiya was arrested last week on charges of rape, human trafficking and the alleged sexual g...

ANC NEC member Andile Lungisa's legal team has told the Johannesburg High Court that ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula did not have the power to remove Lungisa from the party's proportional representation candidate list. Lungisa is challenging his exclusion from the list ahead of the November 4 local government elections where he says he was the number one candidate for Nelson Mandela Bay. Zara...

 A look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of Africa Is Open For Business and Africa Bounces Back